Since its re-launch in 2002, the Isle of Wight Festival has become an important date in the music calendar as each June the biggest names in pop descend on the Island for a weekend of unadulterated entertainment. The three iconic festivals at the famous Afton site in the late 1960’s quickly developed legendary status with tales of Dylan, Joplin and Hendrix taking to the stage in what became the era of free love and expression. However, in 1971 the Isle of Wight County Council created local legislation that requires event organisers to provide four months written notice for public gatherings of five thousand people or more. This legislation would last for thirty one years until 2002 when music promoter and impresario John Giddings saw an opportunity to return the Isle of Wight to the pop world in style. Now in its twenty-third year, the modern Isle of Wight Festival has built a reputation for showcasing the very best in world music and this year is no exception.
As a music promoter for some of the biggest artists in the world, Giddings views the IOW Festival as his hobby while arranging music tours and artists remains his full time job. Joining the music industry in the era of punk, John saw The Sex Pistols in a London bar and realised that a revolution was imminent. This was the start of a glittering career in music which saw him working with some of the biggest names on the planet. In doing this, John had a front row seat to the trajectory of international popular music and obtained a rare insight into what made a musical superstar. Those who had an unwavering sense of positive ambition were always destined for worldwide domination. Being in this rare position helped to cultivate John’s nose for music which has proved vital to the success of the IOW Festival.
Creating a festival lineup is one of the hardest jobs in music. Managing egos, embracing new genres and attempting to prevent clashes of genres are the most challenging tasks for a festival organiser, especially when timings aren’t announced until the week before the event. Delicate care and diligence are essential to ensure that fans of a specific genre are able to experience their favourite music acts. With such a broad spectrum of music on display over the weekend, John compares creating the perfect festival lineup to undertaking a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces in the right order. This process takes months as John and his team collaborate with artists, agents and tour managers to produce a unique bill that is appealing to the public. Each festival is over a year in the making and preparations are already underway for the 2027 event so the Isle of Wight Festival machine is an all year round responsibility and takes a lot of time to prepare.
Closer to home, this year’s IOW Festival is shaping up to be one of the best to date with something for everyone. Representing every generation of music from soft rock icons The Cure to the electronic dance sound of Calvin Harris, Giddings is proud to have once again delivered a broad range of musical genres and mixing the old with the new. Irrespective of his own musical tastes, John has established a winning, eclectic formula that aims to offer something for all. The term pop has evolved to represent almost all genres and with so many different styles, it’s hoped that people will stumble upon an artist that they wouldn’t otherwise have known. For John, this is the true magic of the Isle of Wight Festival and believes that this variety will continue to evolve for many years to come. It was a great pleasure to welcome the great John Giddings to Beyond The Title and it’s certainly whetted my appetite for what promises to be an enjoyable weekend at Seaclose Park!
Beyond The Title